1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to wall cladding in general and in particular to a method and system for applying stucco to a building that is pest resistant.
2. Description of Related Art
Stucco is a common building cladding process. One common stucco method is called exterior insulation finishing system (EIFS). The EIFS system provides a layer of insulation, which commonly comprises expanded polystyrene foam applied to the exterior of the house as boards or panels. Thereafter, a reinforced layer consisting of a fiberglass reinforcing mesh embedded within a cementous adhesive is applied to the exterior of the foam panels which is then also covered with a final topcoat or finish.
Several difficulties presently exist with conventional EIFS systems. In particular, conventional EIFS systems may be prone to damage by pests, such as rodents, birds and the like. As the materials utilized in a conventional EIFS system are either soft (polystyrene foam) or brittle (acrylic or polymer coatings), many pest or animals are able to either chew or break apart such materials thereby creating a hole or cavity in the cladding. Such animals or pests are also commonly able to tear or otherwise remove the reinforcing fiberglass within the reinforcing layer thereby providing easy access to the interior of the polystyrene foam. Thereafter, such animals have been known to either build nests or gain access to the rest of the building causing significant damage as well as permitting water and other environmental elements to reach the wall interior.
Additionally, as the reinforcing layer of a conventional EIFS system is adhered directly to the wall boards, commonly, it is necessary to smooth the exterior surface of the wall panels to ensure a uniform surface for the cementous adhesive to be adhered to. Additionally, as the reinforcing layer is adhered to the foam panels by the cementous adhesive, it is often necessary to rough or otherwise prepare such surface of the wall panels so as to enable the cementous adhesive to adhere thereto. The step of preparing the surface of the foam wall panel is often accomplished by sanding or utilizing a rasp, as are commonly known. It will be appreciated that the step of sanding or rasping the surface of the foam panels, is both time consuming and messy thereby adding additional cost to the preparation and clean-up of a particular worksite.